Try to cancel Bell cellphone one year early in a three year contract. They state cancellation for the phone and data are separate, despite being one plan, and would cost around 500 buckaroos. Needles to say, I'm still with Bell until my contract ends. In a few months I get to pick the other crappy cell provider....awesome.

I'd like to think that this was an honest effort by the government of Ontario but based on past history of this government with lies on cutting fees on the ETR407 I'm not holding my breath. It sounds to me like the Liberals are afraid of losing the budget vote and Ontario having another election. This isn't the only election platform type announcement that's been made in the past couple of weeks.

The simplest way to handle this, would unfortunately also be the "fairest" to the consumer... so will probably never happen.

You purchase your phone, at full cost>> Carriers can offer financing, like cars, that are a separate monthly itemYou activate it on the network of your choice, paying the monthly charge for service onlyCarriers can opt to give a lower rate for contract, as TV/etc companies do (1 year @ 99/m for "Triple Play", going to $129/mo after).

Winner = Consumer.

Realistically, this would essentially be how it is today, but consumers would get a discount after their hardware is paid off, or can "flip" phones as often as they want to "stay on top".

This is as bad as the 70's when AT&T required only phone RENTALS, and MCI sued to allow consumers to purchase phones to use on either service - and the phones had to operate on a common method (interface).

How is it that cell companies were allowed to get around the court rulings that allowed people to use any phone they wanted at no extra cost on AT&T's landline network?

I'd like to think that this was an honest effort by the government of Ontario but based on past history of this government with lies on cutting fees on the ETR407 I'm not holding my breath. It sounds to me like the Liberals are afraid of losing the budget vote and Ontario having another election. This isn't the only election platform type announcement that's been made in the past couple of weeks.

You wouldn't have that problem if the Harris conservatives didn't sell the 407 for billions less than the highway was worth to private company (which isn't even Canadian now) with a 99 year lease and the right to charge whatever they want.

Edit: Which is why the Liberals weren't able to stop them, an arbitrator has ruled that the contract signed with 407 ETR by the Harris government allows the company to do what they wish, the public be dammed.

Is there no end to this nanny-state socialist government interference? How can the Invisible Hand work its magic when it's getting handcuffed by the very customers it's supposed to slap serve?

Please stop with the nanny-state socialist BS, what are 12? Or are you an American? Canada and by extension Ontario, is not a Nanny-state nor a Socialist republic, STFU and GTFO. I hope youre not Canadian, we're usually a lot smarter than to use the socialist catch phrases like the Americans do.

I'd like to think that this was an honest effort by the government of Ontario but based on past history of this government with lies on cutting fees on the ETR407 I'm not holding my breath. It sounds to me like the Liberals are afraid of losing the budget vote and Ontario having another election. This isn't the only election platform type announcement that's been made in the past couple of weeks.

You wouldn't have that problem if the Harris conservatives didn't sell the 407 for billions less than the highway was worth to private company (which isn't even Canadian now) with a 99 year lease and the right to charge whatever they want.

Edit: Which is why the Liberals weren't able to stop them, an arbitrator has ruled that the contract signed with 407 ETR by the Harris government allows the company to do what they wish, the public be dammed.

This.

Ontopic: I assume everyone would consider the current regime of "divide the device discount—the subsidized amount—by the total number of months in a contract, and require this amount to be paid for every month remaining in the contract." to be fair? Sounds like it to me at first blush.

I'd like to think that this was an honest effort by the government of Ontario but based on past history of this government with lies on cutting fees on the ETR407 I'm not holding my breath. It sounds to me like the Liberals are afraid of losing the budget vote and Ontario having another election. This isn't the only election platform type announcement that's been made in the past couple of weeks.

You wouldn't have that problem if the Harris conservatives didn't sell the 407 for billions less than the highway was worth to private company (which isn't even Canadian now) with a 99 year lease and the right to charge whatever they want.

Edit: Which is why the Liberals weren't able to stop them, an arbitrator has ruled that the contract signed with 407 ETR by the Harris government allows the company to do what they wish, the public be dammed.

Exactly. I wish more Canadian would have a longer memory. I had an argument with my friends mom the other that seemed to think Ontario's healthcare issue were brought about by the federal liberals when they were in power, when in reality, its the province that handles healthcare and the conservative that cut its funding, leaving ti where we are today. These people actually vote for the right reasons, but have their facts and parties so mixed up between federal and provincial that they end up voting for wrong party.

Is there no end to this nanny-state socialist government interference? How can the Invisible Hand work its magic when it's getting handcuffed by the very customers it's supposed to slap serve?

Please stop with the nanny-state socialist BS, what are 12? Or are you an American? Canada and by extension Ontario, is not a Nanny-state nor a Socialist republic, STFU and GTFO. I hope youre not Canadian, we're usually a lot smarter than to use the socialist catch phrases like the Americans do.

Try to cancel Bell cellphone one year early in a three year contract. They state cancellation for the phone and data are separate, despite being one plan, and would cost around 500 buckaroos. Needles to say, I'm still with Bell until my contract ends. In a few months I get to pick the other crappy cell provider....awesome.

Yup, been there. Bell has the most miserable customer service I've ever endured. So I paid $650 in ETF fees ($400 for the phone, $250 for data) and switched to Rogers. With Rogers I ended up paying to cancel a no-contract plan when they screwed up my bill three months in a row.

Then I found Koodo. They have retarded advertising, but the most sensible business philosophy of any cell provider I've seen yet. I'm paying $50/mo for unlimited phone and long distance and data is on a flex rate. You get $150 off the price of your phone when you sign up that goes into your "tab". Your tab is paid off with 10% of your bill per month. Want to cancel and go somewhere else? Pay out your tab and you're done. Have your tab paid off? Now you're collecting a credit to your account to be used against the purchase of another phone. Don't like the phones that Koodo offers? (Cause honestly, they're crap) Just grab anything that's HSPA and unlocked from somewhere else and slap in the sim card.

Try to cancel Bell cellphone one year early in a three year contract. They state cancellation for the phone and data are separate, despite being one plan, and would cost around 500 buckaroos. Needles to say, I'm still with Bell until my contract ends. In a few months I get to pick the other crappy cell provider....awesome.

Yup, been there. Bell has the most miserable customer service I've ever endured. So I paid $650 in ETF fees ($400 for the phone, $250 for data) and switched to Rogers. With Rogers I ended up paying to cancel a no-contract plan when they screwed up my bill three months in a row.

Then I found Koodo. They have retarded advertising, but the most sensible business philosophy of any cell provider I've seen yet. I'm paying $50/mo for unlimited phone and long distance and data is on a flex rate. You get $150 off the price of your phone when you sign up that goes into your "tab". Your tab is paid off with 10% of your bill per month. Want to cancel and go somewhere else? Pay out your tab and you're done. Have your tab paid off? Now you're collecting a credit to your account to be used against the purchase of another phone. Don't like the phones that Koodo offers? (Cause honestly, they're crap) Just grab anything that's HSPA and unlocked from somewhere else and slap in the sim card.

I feel like Telus is reasonanly transparent and fair with their subsidies - at least compared to Rogers. I just moved to Telus from Rogers because of my problems with Rogers service (couldn't get reception in several others in Nova Scotia while anyone with Telus or Bell had great reception).

When I cancelled with Rogers I had 11 months left in my contract and it cost me over $300 to get out of the contract early. I can't remember if it was $325 or $345, but either one, it's a ridiculous fee. But it was worth it to get away from Rogers and their terrible customer service and cellular service.

Try to cancel Bell cellphone one year early in a three year contract. They state cancellation for the phone and data are separate, despite being one plan, and would cost around 500 buckaroos. Needles to say, I'm still with Bell until my contract ends. In a few months I get to pick the other crappy cell provider....awesome.

For me, I've had good experiences with Virgin and Telus. Both are the same...only thing really different is fixed contract or supertab.

Rogers? LOL. Their billing system is a joke... only it's not funny at all. Sooo happy that I don't have any accounts with them anymore... out of 5 services I used to have. Constantly on the phone with CS trying to fix things. Holy broken batman!

Have a cell on Virgin's super tab now.... like "tabs" on Wind or Koodo, works almost the way I want it. CS is also noticably better than Rogers... although they did try to convince me recently that my unlocked iphone I purchased in Apple store is a gray market phone and thus cannot be allowed on their network..... geeez.... confirmed by three CS reps and technical rep too... Finally the fourth rep figured it out....

The government needs to stay out of private business unless there is some coercion going. Everyone and their mama knows that cell phones plans have strict rules and are geared towards leaching as much out of a consumer wallet as possible. However, there's plenty of non-contract options out there.

People need to quit trying to impose more work on an already overtaxed government, and start reducing what government does. If anyone is concerned about cutting their costs, they need to look at the biggest theif of them all, the government. The last thing we need is more legislation for politicians to leach/waste taxpayer money on.

Easier solution would be to buy the phone outright and just not enter into any contracts. I haven't locked myself in term contracts for more than 5 years now and so happy for doing so. There are no headaches or what not. Sure, I don't have the latest phone, but my Nexus S which I paid for $350 does the job I need it to do.

It also affords me the freedom of switching carriers whenever I want (not that there are many tbh, there are only the Big 3 in Canada who are also known as "ROBELUS" aside from the new entrants which came into the market a maximum of 3 years ago). Right now I'm with one of the new entrants to the Canadian market. Signal isn't great since these carriers are literally new with the oldest being only 3 years old but right now I'm not paying through the nose for what I need and they're rapidly expanding.

However, that's besides the point. Even with the Big 3, you don't have to lock yourself in a term contract. Sure the device may be expensive up front but the fact that you're chaining yourself to them, you will often pay more than you should if you don't chain yourself into a contract and be able to shop around.

I applaud the Ontario government in creating legislation to end this absurd practice of milking cash out of Canadians who don't understand legalese when they signed on to the contract. Also, many times when signing a contract, the retailers don't give you time to read over the contracts either so basically you're signing a document that you don't have full understanding over at the same time. Last time I signed into a term contract, I wanted to sit down and read it over but was rushed by the employees to sign it. Unfortunately, legalese takes time to decipher and often times you're signing it without knowing exactly you're getting yourself into.

Canadians have been gouged for too long. Our telecommunication prices have only soared and things like data have becoming a lot more expensive. It is time that the government started to put a bit of regulation to ensure that Canadians don't get overcharged because companies can get away with it and this is a great step forward towards a fair market pricing for telecommunication. The Canadian consumers have fought the big telecoms over residential Internet gouging and won. It's just a matter of time when consumers would win the fight over absurd telecommunication costs with these greedy telecoms.

One of the other issues in North America is that there's no incentive to using an unlocked phone or purchasing one outright. You still pay the same amount you would as if you had bought it subsidized.

The move to 3 years being the standard contract term is bullshit though. That's the sort of thing that needs to go. I was quite happy with the 2 year contacts. I'm going to see what kind of shit I can raise come December (will be 2 years then) and get out of my contract. I already have the current Quebec law on my side and at that point, my phone should be paid off.

I was just looking at plans today with SaskTel, Bell, etc for a new iPhone. I was surprised that the only option is a 3 year plan or else buy the phone outright and go month to month. WTF? Is this something with smartphones only? I seem to recall a few years ago that feature phones had prices for 1, 2 or 3 year contracts.

In this day and age 3 year contracts are bullshit. With the pace phones are changing who wants to have a phone for 3 years?

New companies coming in are complaining that they can't compete. Offer a 1 or 2 year contract and customers will be stampeding in.

But who pay termination fees? I've never ever paid any termination fee on any contract. I don't even terminate my contracts. I just call the bank and tell them to refuse any fund call from that company and the contract is ended. IANAL but I think that is legal. It's a breach of contract if I don't pay and I've read some terms and conditions that say that if any party breaches the contract, the contract is void. Anyway, I don't care if it's legal or not, there is no consequence anyway. They send 2 or 3 letters, the last one being more threatening and it ends there. They are not gonna pay a lawyer to sue for a few thousand euros. And when they call me I ask them why they are not ending the service already, as per the contract. Sometimes it takes several months and up to a year before they terminate the service and you have it for free in the mean time.

Then I found Koodo. They have retarded advertising, but the most sensible business philosophy of any cell provider I've seen yet. I'm paying $50/mo for unlimited phone and long distance and data is on a flex rate. You get $150 off the price of your phone when you sign up that goes into your "tab". Your tab is paid off with 10% of your bill per month. Want to cancel and go somewhere else? Pay out your tab and you're done. Have your tab paid off? Now you're collecting a credit to your account to be used against the purchase of another phone. Don't like the phones that Koodo offers? (Cause honestly, they're crap) Just grab anything that's HSPA and unlocked from somewhere else and slap in the sim card.

They are not gonna pay a lawyer to sue for a few thousand euros. And when they call me I ask them why they are not ending the service already, as per the contract. Sometimes it takes several months and up to a year before they terminate the service and you have it for free in the mean time.

I don't know how it works where you live, but on where I live, the carrier reports the incident to whatever credit agency, and I bet that will affect you the next time you need a visit to a bank or maybe open a new cell phone number.

I'd like to think that this was an honest effort by the government of Ontario but based on past history of this government with lies on cutting fees on the ETR407 I'm not holding my breath. It sounds to me like the Liberals are afraid of losing the budget vote and Ontario having another election. This isn't the only election platform type announcement that's been made in the past couple of weeks.

You wouldn't have that problem if the Harris conservatives didn't sell the 407 for billions less than the highway was worth to private company (which isn't even Canadian now) with a 99 year lease and the right to charge whatever they want.

Edit: Which is why the Liberals weren't able to stop them, an arbitrator has ruled that the contract signed with 407 ETR by the Harris government allows the company to do what they wish, the public be dammed.

Exactly. I wish more Canadian would have a longer memory. I had an argument with my friends mom the other that seemed to think Ontario's healthcare issue were brought about by the federal liberals when they were in power, when in reality, its the province that handles healthcare and the conservative that cut its funding, leaving ti where we are today. These people actually vote for the right reasons, but have their facts and parties so mixed up between federal and provincial that they end up voting for wrong party.

I have a long memory and I remember the Harris government ushering in one of the greatest periods of economic expansion and prosperity in Ontario history as he undid the harm that 4 years of NDP socialist mismanagement did to the province. The only people that had an issue with the Harris government were the usual assortment of welfare bums, public sector unionists and Left Wing ideologues such as yourself.

The Harris years seem to be almost a beautiful dream now compared to Mcguinty wrecking ball that has devastated an already reeling Ontario economy from the recession with punishing taxation, sky high utility rates, and scandal after scandal.

Then I found Koodo. They have retarded adertising, but the most sensible business philosophy of any cell provider I've seen yet. I'm paying $50/mo for unlimited phone and long distance and data is on a flex rate. You get $150 off the price of your phone when you sign up that goes into your "tab". Your tab is paid off with 10% of your bill per month. Want to cancel and go somewhere else? Pay out your tab and you're done. Have your tab paid off? Now you're collecting a credit to your account to be used against the purchase of another phone. Don't like the phones that Koodo offers? (Cause honestly, they're crap) Just grab anything that's HSPA and unlocked from somewhere else and slap in the sim card.

Those of you reading this who know me from other threads will understand the gravity of the statement that follows:

I looked into this *very* carefully.

In spite of seemingly interesting sounding offers from Koodoo, Virgin, etc., the math simply did not work out for me. The lower rate of subsidization, combined with no kick-back fees (FidoDollars, etc.) and about the same monthly fee in terms of voice and data meant that the total three year term worked out almost identically, while the cost of breaking after one year (which I intend to do) was even lower.

One of the other issues in North America is that there's no incentive to using an unlocked phone or purchasing one outright. You still pay the same amount you would as if you had bought it subsidized.

The move to 3 years being the standard contract term is bullshit though. That's the sort of thing that needs to go. I was quite happy with the 2 year contacts. I'm going to see what kind of shit I can raise come December (will be 2 years then) and get out of my contract. I already have the current Quebec law on my side and at that point, my phone should be paid off.

Even though they make you a 3 year contract, you can usually get another subsidized phone earlier than that. I'm with Bell and within a couple months after the 2 year anniversary of my contract I receive a text message from them telling me I can go the to store and pick another phone (on the condition you sign a new 3 year contract), which came in handy last summer when my previous phone died unexpectedly on me.

Is there no end to this nanny-state socialist government interference? How can the Invisible Hand work its magic when it's getting handcuffed by the very customers it's supposed to slap serve?

I get the joke you're making here, but even the most ardent free market advocate should be able to recognize that cellular service is inherently not a free market because the spectrum is a limited resource allocated by the government. You can't correct the failings of existing companies with competition if competitors cannot gain access to the market.

Then I found Koodo. They have retarded adertising, but the most sensible business philosophy of any cell provider I've seen yet. I'm paying $50/mo for unlimited phone and long distance and data is on a flex rate. You get $150 off the price of your phone when you sign up that goes into your "tab". Your tab is paid off with 10% of your bill per month. Want to cancel and go somewhere else? Pay out your tab and you're done. Have your tab paid off? Now you're collecting a credit to your account to be used against the purchase of another phone. Don't like the phones that Koodo offers? (Cause honestly, they're crap) Just grab anything that's HSPA and unlocked from somewhere else and slap in the sim card.

Those of you reading this who know me from other threads will understand the gravity of the statement that follows:

I looked into this *very* carefully.

In spite of seemingly interesting sounding offers from Koodoo, Virgin, etc., the math simply did not work out for me. The lower rate of subsidization, combined with no kick-back fees (FidoDollars, etc.) and about the same monthly fee in terms of voice and data meant that the total three year term worked out almost identically, while the cost of breaking after one year (which I intend to do) was even lower.

Do your math!

Wow, if you can get unlimited everything for ~$50/month with one of the big carriers in Canada and get a heavily subsidized phone I'm impressed. The same thing in the US will run you $80 monthly or more and not necessarily get you unlimited data. Our prepaid carriers are a way better value, you just can't get the best phones on their networks.

In spite of seemingly interesting sounding offers from Koodoo, Virgin, etc., the math simply did not work out for me. The lower rate of subsidization, combined with no kick-back fees (FidoDollars, etc.) and about the same monthly fee in terms of voice and data meant that the total three year term worked out almost identically, while the cost of breaking after one year (which I intend to do) was even lower.

I get where you're coming from, but that reasoning falls short as a 3 year contract is simply NOT an option. It's insane. Such lock-ins compared to their early termination fees are out of this world ridiculous. Subsidies they offer for it are not even close to being sufficient. How about this, Rogers calls me later on offering me a $20 Visa gift certificate if I sign another 3 years. LMAO at the girl there.

Either way, buy your phones outright, go with monthly service and if the provider wants to subsidize the phone with 10% off your bill while you're with them then so be it. Ain't losing the freedom of choice down the road... choice of the service I need, choice of the provider. But go Ontario if they manage to do anything about this.

I get the joke you're making here, but even the most ardent free market advocate should be able to recognize that cellular service is inherently not a free market because the spectrum is a limited resource allocated by the government.

Entirely true, but that spectrum allocation can be split up among many companies, or few. In the US, AT&T tried to reduce the number of national competitors by 25%, leaving just three companies to set all the rates and policies. That didn't happen, so we still have four.

Regardless, this article is about how those companies treat their customers. If they had their way the contracts would be written in obfuscated legal jargon on 12 pages of fine print which indemnify them of all wrong, and any disputes would result in the customer paying a large ETF just for having the audacity to complain. This is an exaggeration of course, but not by much.

I approve. The Big Three have been colluding for years to screw Canadian mobile users out of as much money as possible because of our relatively small market. It seems the only way that we're going to get any fairness is through legislation because there just isn't enough competition to force them to treat their customers better.